The invention concerns a stop module for delimiting the pivot motion of a rotation body which is pivotably disposed in a housing, comprising a catch on the side of the rotation body, which follows the trajectory of the pivot motion, and a stop which is provided on the housing side and comprises a damping element for delimiting the motion of the catch, wherein the stop is in the circular or circular segment-shaped trajectory of the catch. The invention also concerns a pivot unit comprising such a stop module.
Conventional stop modules in gripping technology are disposed e.g. between a pivot drive and a component to be pivoted, e.g. a gripping or tensioning means. The stop modules may delimit a predeterminable pivot angle, which permits exact pivoting of the rotation body or a component disposed on the rotation body to a certain position. In particular, stock absorbing elements are conventionally used as a stop, onto which the catch of the rotation body impinges.
A so-called impeller drive may e.g. be used as a pivot drive, wherein a cylinder is divided into two pressure chambers by an impeller, which is radially disposed in the cylinder, and with a stationary separating piece. Depending on the load exerted on one of the pressure chambers, the impeller is pivoted about the longitudinal axis of the cylinder, causing a corresponding pivot motion of a rotation body which is rotationally coupled to the impeller. The invention is clearly not limited to impeller drives but may be used for other drives, e.g. toothed rack drives.
DE 198 25 969 A1 discloses a means for transmitting a rotary motion from a chain guided about a chain wheel in a housing, which comprises balls which are securely interconnected by a chain chord. The chain and chain wheel thereby undergo forced guidance. The chain chord is required in the conventional device to prevent blocking of the balls on the chain wheel. The conventional device requires a relatively large amount of space due to the chain chord and the remote damping pistons.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,390,255 B2 discloses a rotary damper with a catch which can be moved in a viscous liquid, wherein the catch carries along a U-shaped damping valve which impinges on a spacer.
It has turned out that the service life of the stops or the associated shock-absorbers of the above-mentioned conventional stop modules is relatively short. It has proven to be particularly critical, when the catch impinges on the bumper at an inclined angle and not axially in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the shock absorber. The transverse forces which are thereby generated cannot be damped by the shock-absorber, thereby increasing wear of the bumper and damaging it.
It is the underlying purpose of the present invention to further develop a stop module in such a manner that it has a long service life and at the same time requires a small amount of space. The stops and/or bumper elements should thereby experience little wear at different adjustable pivot angles.